Card-file.



No. 633,354. Patented Sept. 19, I899.

J. E. BLAINE, 1R.

CARD FILE. gA licaciim filed Dec. 12, 1898.)

(No Model.)

[NI/EN 12 Q Av ATTORNEY m: News PETERS co. worm-mo. WASHINGTON, 11c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THE GLOBE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CARD-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,354, dated September 19, 1899. Application filed December 12,18 98. Serial No. 698,976. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LJoHN EW'ING BLAINE,Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Files, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifica- IO tion.

My invention relates to files for index-cards for use in libraries, offices, and other places where cards are used for purposes of indexing or reference; and it has for its object the improved construction of such files whereby their ease of manipulation, security, and efficiency are increased.

The novelty of my invention will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a card-file embodying my in vention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side elevation on the dotted line a: w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the drawer anywhere between its ends, showing the position of the locking-rod engaging the cards in solid lines and in position to permit their release in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a broken view of the front of the mechanism on the dotted line y y of Fig. 1, looking to the right. Fig. 5 is a detail front elevation, partlyin section, on the dotted line 2 e of Fig. 1,-looking to the right.

The same letters of reference are used toindicate identical parts in all the figures.

In its preferred form of construction the file is a drawer, of which a series is usually cmployed and contained in a suitable case or cabinet. The drawer may have an interior width just suflicient to contain a single row of cards, which stand on edge transversely of the drawer, or it may bewide enough to have two or more card-compartments side by side and extending from the front to the rear of the drawer. I have only illustrated a drawer with a single card-compartment; but it will be readily understood that this maybe duplicated or pluralized into a drawer with any number of compartments desired, the mechanism in each compartment being identical with that illustrated and to be described.

In the drawings, A represents the bottom of the drawer; B, its side walls; O, its front wall, and D its rear wall.

E, Fig. 3, represents one of the cards, of which there are a series, each having a T- shaped slot at in its lower edge, at or near the middle. These cards fit snugly withinthe drawer and stand on edge transversely of the drawer. They are backed by any suitable sliding follower. (Indicated by the dotted lines of Figs. 1 and 2.)

Journaled longitudinally of the drawer, at or near its middle, is a card locking and releasing rod G, whose ends are formed into cranks b c, the former of which is suitably journaled, as at b, in a bearing at the rear Wall D of the drawer, and the latter of which has a horizontal extension e journaled through the front wall of the drawer, with an operating piece or button f on its forward end. The forward end of the rod G containing the crank c is contained within a recess in a supporting-piece H, secured to the inner side of the drawer-front O, and this support ing-piece H has an aperture or slot g, through which the rod G passes and which serves as a stop to limit the swinging of the rod G in either direction when the button f is turned to operate it. A stop-spring t', Fig. 4, within the recess of the piece H and bearing against the lower side of the crank 0 serves to hold the latter in either of its adjusted positions, one of these adjusted positions being shown by the solid lines of Figs. 3, at, and 5, and the other by the dotted lines of Figs. 3 and 5,

as will be readily understood. When the button is turned so as to swing the rod G to the position of the dotted lines of Figs. 3 and 5, the cards or any one of them may be withdrawn from the drawer or replaced, and when the rod is swung to bring it to the position of the solid lines of Figs. 3, 4., and 5 it enters the top lateral slot in the cards and holds the 5 same locked in place, as will be readily understood. The advantage of having T-shaped slots for a locking-rod of this character is that when the cards are filled on one side with memoranda they may be reversed and I00 be used over again in the same file. \Vhore wall 0 and rear wall D, the card releasing this reversal of the cards is not desired, inl and looking rod G having crank-arms?) cthe verled-L-shapcd slots may be employed in latter of which has an extension journaled the bottom edges of the cards, taking care i through the front wall 0 and provided with IS 5 that the top branches of the slots always exl an operating-piece f, limiting-stops as the tend to one side and to that side into which I slot 9 for the rod G and a retaining-spring i, the rod G when swung would find a free substantially as described. passage to lock the cards in place. J. EWING BLAINE, JR.

Having thus fully described my invention, Witnesses:

l 10 I claim OWEN N. KINNEY,

The combination of the base A with front 1 EDWARD PEoK. 

